A practical way to synthesize chiral fluoro-containing polyhydro-2H-chromenes from monoterpenoids

Abstract Conditions enabling the single-step preparative synthesis of chiral 4-fluoropolyhydro-2H-chromenes in good yields through a reaction between monoterpenoid alcohols with para-menthane skeleton and aldehydes were developed for the first time. The BF 3 ·Et 2 O/ H 2 O system is used both as a catalyst and as a fluorine source. The reaction can involve aliphatic aldehydes as well as aromatic aldehydes containing various acceptor and donor substituents. 4-Hydroxyhexahydro-2H-chromenes were demonstrated to be capable of converting to 4-fluorohexahydro-2H-chromenes under the developed conditions, the reaction occurs with inversion of configuration. 64

Effect of structure and acidity of acid modified clay materials on synthesis of octahydro-2H-chromen-4-ol from vanillin and isopulegol

The Prins cyclization of (−)-isopulegol with vanillin to form octahydro-2H-chromen-4-ol was studied in the presence of natural layered aluminosilicates modified by 0.5 mol/dm3 HCl, such as montmorillonite, kaolin, and metakaolin obtained by the calcination of kaolin at 650 °C. According to infrared spectroscopy using pyridine as probe molecule, the amount and strength of Brønsted acid sites depend on the type of clay and decrease in the following order HCl-montmorillonite > HCl-kaolin > HCl-metakaolin. The difference in Brønsted acidity and textural properties of clays affected the reaction rate and the selectivity towards octahydro-2H-chromen-4-o

Synthesis of octahydro-2H-chromen-4-ol from vanillin and isopulegol over acid modified montmorillonite clays: Effect of acidity on the Prins cyclization

Two calcium-rich natural layered aluminosilicates containing 90–95 wt.% montmorillonite were chemically activated using 0.125–3.0 M HCl solutions. Structural and textural properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis and N2-adsorption/desorption analyses. According to infrared spectroscopy using pyridine as probe molecule, the amount of Brønsted acid sites increased when increasing HCl concentration. The catalytic performance of these materials was investigated in the Prins cyclization of (−)-isopulegol with vanillin to form octahydro-2H-chromen-4-ol, carried out in toluene at 35 °C. It was found that the amount of Brønsted acid sites and the microporosity of the catalysts are key factors for the control of the reaction rate and the selectivity towards octahydro-2H-chromen-4-o

Brønsted acid catalyzed Prins-Ritter reaction for selective synthesis of terpenoid-derived 4-amidotetrahydropyran compounds

A number of SO3H-functionalized solids (biochar, montmorillonites, carbon and halloysite nanotubes) has been studied as catalysts in the cascade Prins-Ritter reaction of (-)-isopulegol with benzaldehyde and acetonitrile for synthesis of octahydro-2H-chromene amides (as 4R- and 4S-isomers). A high selectivity to these products at 30 °C in the presence of H2O was observed on catalysts modified with chlorosulfonic acid (CSA) reaching 84% (4R/4S of 5.7) in the case of biochar, while a relatively large amount of octahydro-2H-chromenols (up to 31%), products of Prins condensation, was formed on the materials functionalized by 2-(4-chlorosulfonylphenyl)ethyltrimethoxysilane (CSP). Although Prins condensation proceeds efficiently on weak acid sites, the Prins-Ritter reaction requires sulfated materials with strong (0.33 – 5.8 mmol/g) Brønsted acidity. Catalysts functionalized by CSP were stable, while for the materials modified with chlorosulfonic acid, leaching of -SO3H groups was observed. Nonetheless, on resistant Bioсhar-CSP, selectivity to the amides at 30 °C (67%) was higher than that with the commercial Amberlyst-15 (47%), and triflic acid at − 25 °C (62%). Similar selectivity to the desired products on Biochar-CSA (-SO3H groups) and H2SO4 (81–84%) as well as on Biochar-CSP (-PhSO3H) and with p-toluenesulfonic acid (67–70%) was observed. DFT calculations and experimental results showed that at 30 °C formation of 4S-amide thermodynamically is more beneficial than of alcohols and dehydration products. However, addition of water results in a sharp increase in the reaction rate and 4R-amide selectivity due to a change to the kinetic control, leading eventually to both high yields and stereoselectivity. The proposed reaction pathways also were confirmed by kinetic modelling.This work is part of the scientific activity of the Institute of Chemistry of New Materials, funded by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. Julián E. Sánchez thanks to Pontificia Universidad Javeriana for providing computational powder and to Universidad Jaume I (Pla de Promoció de la Investigació de la Universitat Jaume I) for the Post Doctoral Fellowship. Part of this work (synthesis and charaterization of sulfonic-acid catalysts presented in Fig. 2) was funded by the Portuguese funds through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT/MCTES) in the framework of the projects UIDB/50006/2020, UIDP/50006/2020. A.F.P. is also grateful to FCT for funding through the Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus 2020.01614.CEECIND/CP1596/CT0007

A Novel Small Molecule Supports the Survival of Cultured Dopamine Neurons and May Restore the Dopaminergic Innervation of the Brain in the MPTP Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease

We previously showed that monoterpenoid (1R,2R,6S)-3-methyl-6-(prop-1-en-2-yl)cyclohex-3-ene-1,2-diol 1 alleviates motor manifestations of Parkinson's disease in animal models. In the present study, we designed and synthesized monoepoxides of (1R,2R,6S)-3-methyl-6-(prop-1-en-2-yl)cyclohex-3-ene-1,2-diol 1 and evaluated their biological activity in the MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease. We also assessed the ability of these compounds to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB). According to these data, we chose epoxide 4, which potently restored the locomotor activity in MPTP-treated mice and efficiently penetrated the BBB, to further explore its potential mechanism of action. Epoxide 4 was found to robustly promote the survival of cultured dopamine neurons, protect dopamine neurons against toxin-induced degeneration, and trigger the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade in cells of neuronal origin. Meanwhile, neither the survival-promoting effect nor MAPK activation was observed in non-neuronal cells treated with epoxide 4. In the MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease, compound 4 increased the density of dopamine neuron fibers in the striatum, which can highlight its potential to stimulate striatal reinnervation and thus halt disease progression. Taken together, these data indicate that epoxide 4 can be a promising compound for further development, not only as a symptomatic but also as a neuroprotective and neurorestorative drug for Parkinson's disease.Peer reviewe

A Newly Identified Monoterpenoid-Based Small Molecule Able to Support the Survival of Primary Cultured Dopamine Neurons and Alleviate MPTP-Induced Toxicity In Vivo

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common age-related movement disorder characterized by the progressive loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. To date, PD treatment strategies are mostly based on dopamine replacement medicines, which can alleviate motor symptoms but do not slow down the progression of neurodegeneration. Thus, there is a need for disease-modifying PD therapies. The aim of this work was to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of the novel compound PA96 on dopamine neurons in vivo and in vitro, assess its ability to alleviate motor deficits in MPTP- and haloperidol-based PD models, as well as PK profile and BBB penetration. PA96 was synthesized from (1R,2R,6S)-3-methyl-6-(prop-1-en-2-yl) cyclohex-3-ene-1,2-diol (Prottremin) using the original three-step stereoselective procedure. We found that PA96: (1) supported the survival of cultured näive dopamine neurons; (2) supported the survival of MPP+-challenged dopamine neurons in vitro and in vivo; (3) had chemically appropriate properties (synthesis, solubility, etc.); (4) alleviated motor deficits in MPTP- and haloperidol-based models of PD; (5) penetrated the blood–brain barrier in vivo; and (6) was eliminated from the bloodstream relative rapidly. In conclusion, the present article demonstrates the identification of PA96 as a lead compound for the future development of this compound into a clinically used drug

Virtual screening, identification and in vitro validation of small molecule GDP-mannose dehydrogenase inhibitors †

Upon undergoing mucoid conversion within the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients, the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa synthesises copious quantities of the virulence factor and exopolysaccharide alginate. The enzyme guanosine diphosphate mannose dehydrogenase (GMD) catalyses the rate-limiting step and irreversible formation of the alginate sugar nucleotide building block, guanosine diphosphate mannuronic acid. Since there is no corresponding enzyme in humans, strategies that could prevent its mechanism of action could open a pathway for new and selective inhibitors to disrupt bacterial alginate production. Using virtual screening, a library of 1447 compounds within the Known Drug Space parameters were evaluated against the GMD active site using the Glide, FRED and GOLD algorithms. Compound hit evaluation with recombinant GMD refined the panel of 40 potential hits to 6 compounds which reduced NADH production in a time-dependent manner; of which, an usnic acid derivative demonstrated inhibition six-fold stronger than a previously established sugar nucleotide inhibitor, with an IC50 value of 17 μM. Further analysis by covalent docking and mass spectrometry confirm a single site of GMD alkylation

Aldol Condensation of Cyclopentanone with Valeraldehyde Over Metal Oxides

Kinetics of the cross aldol condensation of valeraldehyde with cyclopentanone was investigated in a batch reactor under atmospheric pressure at 130 °C using heterogeneous metal modified oxides, such as CeO2–MgO, FeO–MgO, FeO–CaO as well as pristine CaO as catalysts. The catalysts were prepared either by evaporation impregnation or deposition precipitation methods and characterized by XRD, TEM, SEM, nitrogen adsorption, ammonia and CO2 TPD. The results revealed that an optimum amount of strong basic sites gives the highest ratio between cross condensation and self-condensation products of valeraldehyde. The highest yield of the desired product 2-pentylidenecyclopentanone (66%) was obtained with FeO–MgO prepared by the deposition precipitation methods.</p

Inhibition of DNA Repair Enzymes as a Valuable Pharmaceutical Approach

The DNA repair system plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the genome [...

A practical way to synthesize chiral fluoro-containing polyhydro-2H-chromenes from monoterpenoids

Conditions enabling the single-step preparative synthesis of chiral 4-fluoropolyhydro-2H-chromenes in good yields through a reaction between monoterpenoid alcohols with para-menthane skeleton and aldehydes were developed for the first time. The BF3·Et2O/H2O system is used both as a catalyst and as a fluorine source. The reaction can involve aliphatic aldehydes as well as aromatic aldehydes containing various acceptor and donor substituents. 4-Hydroxyhexahydro-2H-chromenes were demonstrated to be capable of converting to 4-fluorohexahydro-2H-chromenes under the developed conditions, the reaction occurs with inversion of configuration